After school, On his way to the bus, Munch once again missed Lolly. All day he had missed her presence. He was so thankful she would be back at school next week. His world just wasn’t right without her. Despite missing Lolly the day had been better than all the other days of this week because Trevor was at track meet. It had been a relief not to have to deal with his despair. While he was worried about Trevor, he was also angry with him. The boy did not know how to pitch a fit. He was always too good to his own detriment. It wasn’t healthy to do everything your parents wanted you to do. The fact that Trevor like his father, could just give up and give in infuriated Munch and it wasn’t because of Lolly. It was because he hated to see good people let selfish people run over them.

When he got off the bus at his stop, he saw Aunt Jessie headed across the pasture with Bruno on a leash. That big dog looked like a freaking cow. Slowly, he made his way to the house. When he was half way there, Grandma Toady’s trailer door opened. Lolly, Mitzi and Puccini appeared. Mitzi saw him and took off at a run. Her entire focus was on him, she was headed straight at him like a Kamikaze airplane. Munch braced himself. The little girl was going to crash land against him. It always hurt. She was stronger than she looked. Lolly shouted after her, “Don’t you say a word.”

With Puccini flopping under her arm, Mitzi shouted back, “Not goin’ to!” She launched herself at Munch. He caught her just before she slammed into him. He hoisted her up in the air and she laughed. Her laughter always made him smile, then giggle. It was contagious. She was getting heavier by the second. His arms began to buckle so he brought the down as he did she slung her arms around his neck. Her hot little face pressed toward his left ear and she whispered, “Lolly has a surprise for you.”

“Mitzi,” shouted Lolly, “I swear, I will never tell you anything again.”

Mitzi turned back to her cousin and said, “Oh, I’ve heard that before. Sides, I didn’t say a word.”

Little Liar. Mitzi gave him a quick hug and then said, “Down please.”

He put her down. She started doing a happy jig all around him. This Friday was so very different from last Friday.

Lolly reached him. Her eyes were full of light. When was the last time she had looked this happy. It had been far too long. She smile and said, “Guess what?”

“What?”

Without waiting for a single guess, she burst out, “I have a surprise for you. Being stuck at home was not a total waste of my time.”

Mitzi started jigging even faster. By the look on her face, she was about to spill this surprise, if Lolly didn’t hurry up and spit it out.

Dramatically, Lolly said, “I have been trying and praying and calling all week.” Her smile grew so bright and wide. “And…this morning my efforts and my prayers were rewarded.”

Mitzi shouted, “She won you tickets on the radio!”

Lolly shouted, “Mitzi! You promised me!”

Unruffled, Mitzi said, “Well, you talk too slow.”

Before these cousins got into it, Munch asked, “Tickets to what?”

Both girls smiled, “Tickets to the Kool Jazz Festival. I won four tickets to hear Mary Wilson LIVE!”

Munch’s heart almost stopped then it went into a full out race. Mary Wilson! Live! It was a dream come true. He could not WAIT to take Thahn Ho to the festival! He gave Lolly a big old hug. “Thank you so very much! You are the best friend ever.”

Lolly gave him a tight squeeze and said, “I know!” She let go and added, “When you ask Thahn Ho make sure you tell her that Trevor and I will be going too. I am hoping that will her parents will agree to that.”

In his excitement and all his dreams of going to the Jazz festival, not once did he consider what it would be like if Thahn Ho couldn’t go with him. Now reality hit hard.

“Munch, don’t count disaster before it strikes. Ask her first before you get all worked up.”

“I’ll try.” Munch turned and rushed into the house. The first thing he did was pick up the kitchen phone and dial Thahn Ho. Le answered, “Hello.”

“Hey Le, this is Munch.”

“Hello Crunchy.”

Though he hated being called that word, Munch let it slide. “Is Thahn Ho home?”

Through the receiver came the sound of kissing noises. The next thing Munch heard was a pop and then Le yowled, “You are so mean! I’m tellin’!” Someone wrestled the receiver out of Le’s hand. Munch really hoped it was Thahn Ho.

Her sweet voice came through the line, “Hello Michael. What’s up?”

She sounded pleased to hear from him. “Um Lolly won four tickets for Kool Jazz on July 2. Nancy Wilson will be singing. Trevor and Lolly are going. Do you think your parents will let you go with me?”

There was a pause on the other end, a very long pause before Thahn Ho asked, “Won’t Trevor already be in Corpus Christi by then?”

It was then that it occurred to Munch that Lolly didn’t know when the doofus was leaving. Great, another snag. Still, he said, “Could you ask?”

“Yes, of course. I don’t know what the answer will be but I really hope it is yes. We will all be sixteen by then, so I am hopeful.”

Munch needed more than hope. He wanted YES! Trying to curb his impatience he asked, “Um, are your parents home now?”

“Not yet. I will ask them this evening and call you as soon as I know something.”

“Okay.”

With more than a hint of worry in her voice, Thahn Ho said, “If I can’t go I think Grace would really enjoy the festival.”

Munch had no idea what to say about Grace going. In his head he was screaming, I DON’T WANT TO TAKE any one but YOU. Aloud he said, “They might say yes. When will they be home?

“Around 6:00 p.m.”

That was over two hours away. Munch was not sure he was going to make it through the next two hours. “Okay. I will talk to you later.”

“Bye Michael.”

“Bye.” Munch hung up the phone.

The next two hours were excruciatingly long. At 5:45 Munch went into the kitchen to wait for Thahn Ho’s call. Staring at the phone did not make it ring. Forty minutes later when the phone rang Munch jumped up and grabbed the phone. A voice on the other end of the line squealed, “They said YES!”

IT WAS A MIRACLE. Munch shouted, “Thank you Jesus!”

Some dreams did indeed come true!

*

Saturday morning that man was leaving. His truck was loaded. For the first time, Munch felt truly sorry for him. He watched that man as he hugged his mother, then his daughter, then his wife. Mama did not break into hysterics. Her lip was trembling but she held it in. It would probably be major water works as soon as that man left, but for now the sea of emotion was relatively calm. To Munch’s surprise, that man came to him and extended his hand. He said, “Take care of my girls okay?”

Stunned by this request, Munch nodded.

“Thanks I appreciate that. I always feel better knowing you are here.”

Munch managed to say, “No problem.”

They watched that man get into his truck and head out. Inside, Munch felt a little hollow. All eyes remained on the road until the truck disappeared. Mama quickly went inside.

Grandma Toady said, “Come on over Munch. I made some chocolate chip cookies.”

Though he did not need the lure of food to go over there, Munch didn’t say so. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped in his house while Mama sobbed. “Okay.”

Mitzi was with her dad for the weekend, so the trailer was relatively quiet. Grandma Toady had the kitchen radio on a big band station. Lost in their own thoughts they ate their cookies. As always they were good. Once they were done, Lolly said, “Me and Munch are going for a walk.

Outside the sun sent shafts of light through the clouds. For a while they walked in silence. Finally Lolly said, “I talked to Trevor last night. He got a Toyota truck, a bright red one with leather interior. Can you imagine having that kind of money?”

Munch’s honest response was, “Yup!” He dreamed about having lots of money and being famous. All Lolly dreamed about was being a librarian. Why anyone would want to be a librarian was beyond him.

“Well, I can’t. He said he would be more than happy to go to Kool Jazz. You know what he didn’t say?”

What to do? Munch was pretty sure Trevor hadn’t said a word about moving, but he didn’t want to say that in case it was or wasn’t true. He was straddling the fence on this one. It felt like one of those damned if I do, damned if I don’t questions.

Miffed, Lolly said, “Yeah, he hasn’t told me yet. He’s coming over tonight to show me the truck. We are going for a ride and we are going to have a conversation.”

Poor Trevor. Lolly didn’t get mad often, but when she did it was thorough. Now seemed like a good time to change the subject. He asked, “If he takes us to the festival, how are we all gonna fit in his truck?”

Lolly glared at him. “I don’t know. They have so many damned cars, he just has to pick one.”

Never before had Lolly been this caustic about Trevor’s money. Still, he knew her anger really wasn’t about money, it was about the fact Trevor hadn’t told her he was moving. They walked to the cotton field in silence. Instinctively they headed for the stream. Still silent, they climbed down the steep bank and sat down by the flowing water. The only sounds were those of birds, flowing water, and the murmur of the tree leaves. Slowly, gradually peace began to descend within Munch. Though Lolly was still agitated, he didn’t try to soothe her or distract her. Like Mama, she had to sort out her own emotions. They weren’t his responsibility.

He looked up at the sky. It was so blue. A hawk was drafting on an air current. Tonight he he would tell Thahn Ho about the hawk, Trevor’s truck and about that man leaving. They would sit on the garden swing. He would hold her hand. They would kiss. A smile crept across his face.